Operation: Don't Kill Stark
by sUnKiSsT
Summary: *SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR* For some ridiculous reason, this pathetic Terran life is important. Somehow, this metal man is needed to destroy her father. A story in which Tony Stark just doesn't care – and Nebula is forced to get him home to save his life and possibly the Universe - preferably before she kills him.
1. Chapter 1

***SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR***

For some ridiculous reason, this pathetic Terran life is important. Somehow, this metal man is needed to destroy her father.

A story in which Tony Stark just doesn't care – and Nebula is forced to get him home to save his life and possibly the Universe.

* * *

 **Operation: Don't Kill Stark**

Nebula appraised the man crumpled before her with an air of distaste. He hasn't moved since the rest of the group had turned to ash. She can see the tremble in his hands, can hear the slight hitch in his breath and the way he struggles not to cry.

Weak. Pathetic.

"Terran." She calls out sharply, stalking closer to get his attention.

He doesn't hear her or decides to ignore her.

Unacceptable.

It takes a great deal of self control to not wrap her hands around his throat and squeeze until he affords her the respect and fear she deserves. Instead, she drops down to the balls of her feet and peers into his face. "You will come with me." Nebula doesn't ask, it comes out as a command, an unspoken _I will drag you with me if don't cooperate._

Brown eyes look up and the Terran looks straight at her. There is no trace of fear on his face, nothing but rage and despair. "Fuck off." It comes out as a rasp, but there is determination and stubbornness there.

Nebula shouldn't be surprised that she hasn't made him afraid. He faced her father, stood up to the mad Titan and somehow survived. Her hands still twitch, once again fighting down the burning desire to hurt this man and make him pay for his insolence.

She can practically see Gamora rolling her eyes.

 _He is needed. Don't be an idiot, sister._

Snarling, Nebula turns away, kicking violently at the first piece of debris her foot finds to tamp down her rage.

The brown-haired man chokes out a laugh, and makes a joke, _a joke_ about her 'anger issues'.

"You may be the most annoying Terran I have ever met." She snaps at him, twisting back around to stare him in the face.

He snorts, pain lines bracket his mouth and his eyes are haunted, but he simply says, "Oh c'mon…Can't be more annoying than that what's his face Lord guy." He insists, "…and cut the big and scary alien act, lady. I work – well, _worked_ with a guy who had astounding anger management issues. Seriously. You've got nothing on him."

Nebula grabs him by the front of his sweaty and dust stained clothes, the fabric bunching up between her fingers. "You are coming with me. Your wizard friend saved your life – you must be needed for something. I intend to find out for what."

Stark isn't phased, he carries on like she doesn't have the ability to snap his neck with a single sharp jerk.

She thinks it's more likely that he simply doesn't care.

"Yeah, I don't know what the fuck Strange was thinking when he pulled _that_ move, but there is nothing I know that can help us now. Seriously, Thanos just turned half the universe into ash. I'm smart – like, the smartest…but what the fuck? This isn't something that can be fixed. It's over lady, we lost. It's too late." Stark rambles on.

There is blood on his teeth and staining his lips, Nebula notes, her eyes move to the wound on his side.

He catches her gaze and gives the grievous injury a look. "Ah, yeah. Then there's that." Stark shrugs, indifferent, "Doesn't make much sense, saving a dead man, does it? The nanotech sealed it shut, but everything on the inside is pretty messed up. Can't really get the full extent with my suit trashed to shit, and of course F.R.I.D.A.Y doesn't exactly get signal out here. Fucking boonies – amiright?"

Nebula ignores the meaningless chatter, carefully inspecting the injury from both sides. "You should be dead."

Stark rolls his eyes and gives her a dry look that plainly states _no shit_. "Like I said, nanotech. Doesn't heal, just buys me some time. I just didn't want to go out like that in front of…" He falters for second before finishing, "…of the kid. So much for that genius idea."

He goes silent after that, his gaze drifts off into the distance, seeing something that she cannot.

Sighing with frustration, Nebula turns away. The Molina was parked close by, a quick sprint for her. It is time to go. "You are not allowed to die Stark. Do you understand? I will be back with a ship. We will go to your planet so that you are able to heal – and then we will kill my bastard of a father. I will not allow a little thing like your death stop me from achieving my vengeance. Are we clear?"

There is no answer, Nebula glances over her shoulder and spits out an annoyed curse when she sees that the Terran is no longer conscious.

 _Pathetic beings._

* * *

Within two hours, the Guardians spaceship is well outside of Titans atmosphere. Nebula pilots the Molina with ease, setting a course for Earth before leaving the front of the ship to check on its other occupant.

Tony Stark is strapped into the cot next to the medical supplies, his glare is mutinous as he stares up at her. He curses, struggling against the bonds that have him strapped to the bed. "You gonna leave me like this for the whole flight? Kinky, but I'm really _not_ interested."

Nebula rolls her eyes, releasing the bonds with a flick of her wrist. She watches as the man lurches upright, only for his face to turn white with pain. He sways and thumps back with a choked gasp, one hand drifting towards the bulk of bandages packed against his side. "Fuck." Is all he manages to get out before his eyes roll back up into his head and he promptly passes out again.

"Humans…" She mutters with a shake of her head. Using the instruments on the ship, Nebula attempts to assess the damage and slow down the mans decline. They won't reach his home planet for several days, and his dying would do nothing to help her in her mission to destroy Thanos.

Unfortunately, her understanding of the human body is severely limited.

This trip was already starting to feel very long.

* * *

Nebula is in the pilots' chair, navigating through an asteroid belt (dangerous, yes – but the fastest way to Terra by far and easily worth the risk). She doesn't react when Tony Stark stumbles into the chair beside her, his tired eyes look out at the vast expanse of space without the slightest interest.

"You should be resting." Nebula says bluntly.

Stark lifts a shoulder up in a half-hearted shrug. "Rested enough, can't sleep. Where are we?"

"Still two days away." She responds, noticing the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. There is a flush to his cheeks and his eyes are sunken. Nebula knows what a dying man looks like.

It's clear that they are running out of time.

"Seriously? We got to that wasteland of planet in less than a day." Stark quips, "You get us lost or something? You know what they say about women drivers…"

The attitude is an attempt to disguise the pain he feels, Nebula knows, having much experience with this tactic herself. She doesn't give him the fight he wants, too focused on piloting through the dangerous chunks of rock and ice surrounding the ship. "This craft is not as advanced, it is limited in its capacity." Her answer is short, she feels a slight satisfaction when the man huffs in disappointment, slumping in his chair slightly.

Stark fidgets, hands trailing lightly on the various instruments spread out before him.

It's annoying. Very, very annoying.

"Stop acting like a restless child." She finally growls, "You are injured and likely dying. Go and rest or I'll strap you back into that bed myself."

"Anyone ever tell you that you have great bedside manner?" Stark responds, grunting a little as he straightens out in his seat. He doesn't return to the back of the ship, but he stops fidgeting.

There is silence, and Nebula is almost ready to count that as win.

And then…

"So, who the hell are you exactly? How did you end up on Titan? How did you know the Guardians?"

The questions come in rapid-fire succession, and it takes everything in Nebula not to knock the human out just to get him to shut the hell up. He's looking at her expectantly, clearly not ready to take no for an answer.

"Thanos destroyed half of my home world when I was a child. He took possession of me and trained me to kill – he made me this way." She holds up her robotic arm, makes a sweeping gesture to the modifications made to her body, before continuing shortly, "My sister Gamora rebelled and became one the Guardians of the Galaxy. Thanos murdered her to obtain the Soul Stone."

Another sacred moment of silence.

And then…

"Well shit, and I thought I had daddy issues."

Nebula closes her eyes and wonders how Gamora had the capability of dealing with a Terran for longer than five seconds.

This human is likely the only way to defeat her father and perhaps restore the Universe.

It's incredibly difficult not to kill him.

* * *

Terra is half a day away, but Stark has taken a turn for the worse. Feverish and babbling, the wound on his side – still sealed shut by his technology – is red and inflamed around the edges. Nebula has set the Molina to auto-pilot so that she can monitor the man closely.

"I did not spend three days listening to your incessant chatter and dealing with your human mood swings for you to die now." She speaks from above his head, forcing him to drink some of the water in her hand.

He stares up at her through half lidded eyes. "Tol' you to go. Wanted to stay. Not my fault…you kidnapped me when I was sleeping."

"You were not sleeping, imbecile. You were unconscious."

Stark closes his eyes, coughing weakly. "Same difference, lady."

Nebula crosses her arms, sitting across from him with a sigh. "I do not understand you, Stark. We have all lost much here – but I'm sure you have ones on your home planet still alive. Do you not want to see them? Do you not want to destroy the being that caused all of this and avenge those that you lost? That wizard and spider child…will you not fight for them?"

She can almost see Gamora smiling from behind her shoulder.

Ugh, what was she becoming?

 _Better, sister. Wiser and stronger. Strong enough to destroy the monster that we called father._

"I should have been better. I knew this was coming – known for so long but I couldn't stop it." Stark mumbles in reply, oblivious to her thoughts. "Peter…he was just a kid. He was scared, so scared. Dying away from his family, he didn't deserve that. I…need to fix it. Gotta...gotta be a way. Pep…"

The moment of coherence is gone, Stark groans, body going lax as the fever dreams take over once again.

Nebula lines his body with cool compresses, muttering under her breath about the frailty of the Terran body.

 _How did they survive at all?_

* * *

Stark is calling out in his sleep now, his body glistening with sweat. Nebula snarls in frustration, replacing the now warm compresses with fresh ones. She doesn't stop to wonder why the Guardians had so many of the gel packs on board. Stark is calling out for something, a Pepper? She doesn't know what that means, but she almost misses the static laden transmission coming from the front speakers because of it.

"Shut up!" She growls harshly, leaving him twisting in a tangle of sheets and sweat. Away from Stark, she hears the next burst of static and the voice within it.

"….Quill? Ga- …this is…Rock…fucking…"

Nebula adjust the dials, checking the position of the Molina as the voice becomes clearer through the speakers.

"You MORONS. It's Rocket. Answer me now god damnit."

"Rodent," She speaks calmly, "This is Nebula."

There is a moment of silence before the rodent speaks again. "Where is my team? Nebula, where the fuck are they?"

She wants to say she's sorry, because that is what you're supposed to say – but she isn't, not really. The only being she had ever truly cared for was Gamora. The others…they were no more to her than the ash that they had become.

"Gone, turned to dust when Thanos retrieved the last stone." Nebula is blunt.

There is a moment of quiet, and then another voice replaces Rockets. This one sounds old and tired, like he's seen too much in a short amount of time. He sounds like the human currently dying behind her, but without the annoying moans and whimpers.

"This is Steve Rogers. Who are you and what do you want here?"

"Nebula," She answers without emotion, watching as the blue planet grows larger before her. "I have one of your kind currently dying on this ship. Send me coordinates so that I can land, before I decide to just kill him and get it over with. _Now_ , human."

"Who? Who do you have?" Rogers demands.

"He calls himself Tony Stark."

There is an explosion of sound in response to that, none of it understandable. Nebulas lips turn up slightly in a ghost of smile as co-ordinates are immediately transferred to the ship.

The demanding voice has turned almost frantic, its cuts through the rest of the chatter, "Confirm, Nebula. Please confirm that you have Tony Stark on board. How do we know that you aren't lying?"

"Dark hair, red and gold metal suit. Extremely annoying, to the point where I considered tossing him out into the vacuum of space." Nebula answers smoothly, adding dryly, "Also, he may be the only way to defeat Thanos and possibly restore the Universe."

"Holy shit!" The man exclaims loudly, a string of what Nebula assumes to be human curse words follow, tinged with excitement and disbelief. There is a cacophony of noise again, many different voices speaking together but Nebula ignores them, instead glimpsing back to check on Stark.

"You seem to be very popular on your planet, Terran. Interesting that they know who you are, the odds seem…unlikely."

Stark is having another lucid moment, his head lifted slightly so that he can squint at her. A bead of sweat drips from his temple, but his cracked lips lift into a slight smile. She theorizes that the familiar voices have given him strength, ignoring him when he mentions being rich, famous and a superhero. It's only when he makes a grabby motion with his fingers that she turns her attention back to him.

"What?" She snaps.

"Radio. Gimme."

Ripping the portable device from its charging dock, Nebula storms over and hands it out to him. Stark stares at her with a raised brow, looking ridiculous with his flushed face, scruffy beard and tangled hair. "Child." She growls, slamming the radio down beside him, having learned on their first day travelling that he had a problem with being, as he called it, 'handed things'.

Flinging herself back into the pilots' chair, Nebula begins to initiate the landing sequence, but her sharp ears pick up the conversation behind her.

"Hey guys."

"Tony? Jesus Christ! Thank god, we thought you were a goner. Fuck, it's good to hear from you."

A moment of silence, and then…

"Hey…Steve?" Stark starts, trailing off for a moment before continuing with an air of smugness, "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Nebula closes her eyes and breathes through her nose slowly.

 _We are doomed._

* * *

 _ **I hope you enjoyed this! It's only my second attempt in this fandom – so I'm still trying to capture the characters (I can't decide how these two will react after what happened! Will Tony be stoic / angry / depressed / act like nothing is wrong? Ahhhh!)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Operation: Don't Kill Stark**

 **PART TWO**

"…you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

The familiar voice comes over clear, albeit the tone is tinged with underlying pain and sadness. Steve chokes out a laugh at the old and overused joke, "Seriously? You take a trip into intergalactic space, a crazy Titan destroys half the universe, we haven't spoken in years – and that's what you come up with?"

"...priorities?" Tony quips without missing a beat, "How's life? Enjoying Wakanda? Tell T'challa I say hey."

Steven shakes his head, exchanging a quick glance with Natasha. He asks the question that he can read plainly in her eyes, "How did you know we went to Wakanda?" He doesn't mention that T'challa is gone, even as he watches Okoye squeeze Shuris' shoulder from across the room.

"Oh please," Tony coughs harshly before continuing, his voice slightly breathless, "You realize who you're talking to, right? Genius here! You re-"

The billionaire is cut off suddenly, the air in the room tenses when they hear a slight scuffle over the speaker, before the noises of protest are replaced by Nebula.

"Enough. Stark is injured and does not have time for this meaningless chatter– I suggest that you have that medical team waiting." Her voice is harsh and unyielding, but Steve still opens his mouth to protest.

"Don't bother," Shuri speaks up, her dark eyes glued to the monitors, "She cut the connection and I can't them back, not without Rocket's help."

Natasha curses softly in Russian before heading towards the door. "I'll get Rhodey, meet you there." She calls over her shoulder before disappearing from view.

"I'd better get the lab ready for our patient – sounds like he is going to need it. Okoye?"

Steve doesn't linger long after the two Wakandan women follow Natasha out. Scratching the back of his head, he lets out a shaky breath to try and collect himself. Regardless of how nonchalant Tony may have come across on the comms, the super soldier knows things are far from okay.

It was time to fix the damage between them.

* * *

The ship that lands is sleek and modern, but Steve barely looks twice at it. He's seen far too much in a very short amount of time to be impressed by a spaceship – besides, he is much more interested in the occupants of said ship. He's on the balls of his feet, Natasha a silent and solid presence to his right. Rhodey stands on his left, encased in his armor with his faceplate up – his face is pale and tired, but hopeful.

"Thor and Bruce?" He murmurs quietly to Natasha, blue eyes never leaving the ship as its engines power down. The cockpit is facing away with the hatch towards them, so he can't see the driver.

"Be here as soon as they can, Thor is dealing with Rocket and Bruce is familiarizing himself with Shuri's workspace." Natasha responds quietly, her intelligent eyes flick towards the Wakandan warriors that currently flank their temporary Queen. Shuri stands stoically in their midst, her face calm and expectant.

"They are letting us take point on this one, they won't intervene unless they feel that there is a serious threat to their people. Okoye gave me her word." Steve answers the unspoken question, leaning forward subconsciously when the back of the ship finally starts to open.

Two forms emerge almost immediately. The blue alien that must be Nebula strides down the ship with cool confidence, her black eyes don't even glance at the armored warriors that surround the landing pad. Tony is hanging off her shoulder, his face pale as he struggles to keep pace. He is clearly in pain, but it doesn't stop the genius from taking in his surroundings and smiling brightly when he spots Rhodey.

"Honey bear!" Tony practically sings, lurching away from Nebula.

Rhodey hurries forward, closing the distance between them before Tony can crash to his knees. "You god damn idiot." The soldier says fondly, steadying his best friend before gently lowering him to the ground.

Tony pats the darker mans face clumsily. "I'm glad you didn't go poof." It comes off lightly, but Rhodey can easily hear the grim tone beneath the banter. They both look up when they feel the rest of the group step closer, and Tony's jaw clenches slightly when he locks eyes with Steve.

They don't get a chance to speak before Nebula cuts through the silence. "I must take care of something, but I will be back," She jabs a finger towards Tony, "Heal. You are not allowed to die before we take care of Thanos, understood?"

Tony coughs, giving her a sarcastic salute, "Yes ma'am!"

Nebula stalks away without so much as a word to the rest of the group, her face full of distaste. Ignoring the questions that are shouted at her back, she pauses for only a second when she sees the rodent standing on the platform.

"I'm coming with you." The small creature says, his voice angry and unyielding.

"You will not like where I'm going. I will not allow my sister to rot on Vormir."

Rocket flinches at the image, but he squares his shoulders and marches into the depths of the ship regardless.

Sighing in clear frustration, Nebula follows.

* * *

The mixture of superheroes and Wakandans immediately break out into a debate as the ships powers up.

Steve ignores the chatter, crouching down in front of the injured genius. "Tony, you alright?" His face is tight with concern, not liking the way the other man looks.

Tony waves it off carelessly, brown eyes focused on the multiple conversations taking place around him. "I'm peachy." He answers distractedly, not noticing the pointed look Rhodey gives Steve. "Guys, hey, guys! Everyone shut the hell up and listen to me."

The group goes quiet, frustrated and concerned faces all turn to the billionaire on the ground. Steve doesn't miss how the man lets out a slow and steady breath in a clear attempt to control pain, before he continues. "You won't be able to stop her from leaving. Just leave her be – she'll be back and eager to kick ass when we're ready. Now, where is T'challa?"

Shuri answers, her voice quiet and dignified, "My brother did not survive The Snap. I am currently ruling in his stead."

The unspoken ' _until he returns_ ' is very clear.

"Shit." Tony curses, his eyes softening as he appraises the young girl, "I'm sorry Shuri. Your brother told me a lot about you – we have a lot we need to talk about."

"We do," Shuri agrees, "But first we must tend to your wounds." Her eyes narrow when he opens his mouth to protest. "No – I agree that time is of the essence, but I have been monitoring your vital signs since you touched down and you are deteriorating rapidly, Mr. Stark. You will be of no use to any of us if you are dead."

Tony sighs, leaning against the metal armor of his best friends suit a little more heavily. The rush of landing and being reunited with his old friends and former teammates suddenly drains away. "Yeah, yeah alright." He concedes, wincing when both Rhodey and Rogers lift him up gently, placing him onto a floating stretcher that had been waiting unnoticed nearby.

He doesn't feel the prick of a needle in his arm, but he does notice when the pain drops off suddenly, and he blinks rapidly as his vision starts to blur. It takes an enormous amount of effort to focus on Rhodey and ask, "Pepper?"

His best friend doesn't answer him – but Tony doesn't need him to. His heart twists at the look on the darker mans face, and he squeezes his eyes shut in denial. Focusing on breathing through his nose, the billionaire is oblivious to the frantic voices around him as his vitals take a nosedive.

 _"Tony, stay with us!"_

 _"Stark!"_

 _"Don't you do this, don't – "_

Darkness comes, and Tony doesn't try and escape it.

* * *

When he wakes up, he doesn't feel any pain. His mouth is dry and there is grit in his eyes, but the deep, pulsing agony that had tortured him since being stabbed was gloriously absent. Tony opened his eyes, taking in the tech surrounding him with absent-minded interest. His gaze finds Rogers, who is staring at a tablet with a look of intense concentration.

"What, no newspapers in Wakanda, grandpa?" He croaks out, one hand rubbing the sleep out of his eyes while the other feels experimentally where the stab wound was. The only sign that he had almost died was a thick, puckered line of skin a few inches long.

Steve straightens quickly, setting the tablet aside. His blue eyes are intent, the worry in them clear to see. "How are you feeling?" He asks, ignoring the jibe.

"Fine, fine," Tony answers impatiently, "How long was I out for? Did I miss anything important? Where are the others – who made it? I need to speak to Shuri right away – hey, hand me that tablet. I need to start – "

"Whoa Tony, slow down. You were only out for fourteen hours. Shuri worked on you herself with Bruce. The medical technology here is incredible – I don't know how they managed to fix you up so well. When they examined your injuries…" Steve trails off for a moment, a faraway look in his eyes. "You would be dead if you had gone anywhere else, if you hadn't arrived when you did – Bruce said it was really close this time."

Unfazed by this, Tony swings his legs to the side, ready to hop off the cot and go looking for Shuri himself. Steve stops him, the super soldier is at his side in the space of a breath, one large hand on his shoulder. Tony tries not to flinch at the contact, but Steve notices the slight movement – and the hand disappears quickly, as if it had been burned.

"Tony…I – Listen, I'm really sorry. For everything. From before, for now. Just all of it." Steve sighs, stepping away and scratching his beard.

The genius swallows, dark eyes staring at his toes for a moment as he gathers himself. Slowly, he meets the taller man's face and nods. "Me too." He says gruffly, it's not enough, not nearly – but there is no time, no time for the past. No time to fix what they both broke. They can only move forward.

Tony lets the moment ride for a few seconds before breaking it with a clap of his hands, his entire demeanor does a one eighty. "Now! I really do need to see Shuri. I've got a few ideas, but we are going to need a shit load of Vibranium to even stand a chance at fixing this mess."

Steve nods absently, "Yeah, alright. I'll call her – wait, _what?_ Fix this? You think that we can do that? _How_?"

Tony grins, his teeth bared and his eyes gleaming. "Of course," He taps his temple with a raised brow, "Remember? Genius? We haven't lost, not yet. I did a lot of thinking on the space ride home. Nebula wasn't exactly talkative."

"You mean when you were dying and feverish and likely hallucinating?" Steve asks dryly.

Tony snorts, waving a hand at the soldier carelessly, "I do my best thinking that way. Now, lets see…F.R.I.D.A.Y! Rise and shine, daddy is back and needs you. Vacay is over!"

"Boss, it's good to know that you aren't dead." The relieved voice comes directly out of Steve's phone, who looks down at the device in astonishment. He stares down at it for a second before looking at Tony accusingly. "Has F.R.I.D.A.Y always been on this phone?" He demands.

"Welllll, kinda, yeah? I mean, that and all the other ones you've used since Siberia. You didn't seriously think I was going to let all of you guys fall off the grid without knowing where you were!" Tony looks positively affronted at the very idea.

"All?!" Steve responds weakly, "You had all of our phones bugged? For the past three years? How? They aren't even your tech – and we changed them out every month."

"Oh please," Tony answers smugly, "I know all tech. Don't get your spandex in a wad. I needed to make sure you were all safe. I never actually did anything with the information – geez. F.R.I.D.A.Y just kept tabs, didn't you girl."

"Acutally boss..."

Tony bulls over the A.I quickly, cutting her off mid sentence. "Pass over that tablet, would you? I need it - no, put it on the bed, you know how I am..."

"Natasha isn't going to be happy when she hears about this." Steve sighs as he sets the tablet beside the billionaire, shaking his head in disbelief. It was unnerving to know that the man had been able to track their every move without them ever knowing. It made him feel very…small.

"We have bigger problems at the moment," Tony says dismissively before turning his attention back to his A.I.

Steve doesn't pay attention to the conversation, still stunned at this newest piece of information. He blinks when Tony snaps his fingers at him impatiently. "Earth to Rogers. I need clothes – do you know where mine went? F.R.I.D.A.Y called a meeting for me, people will be arriving anytime now."

"What? Oh, yeah." Steve gets up and walks to a nearby dresser, pulling out some clothing at random. Depositing it on the nightstand beside Tony, he rolls his eyes at the look on the other mans face. "Don't start, the stuff you were wearing was trashed. It's this or scrubs."

Tony huffs, but doesn't complain out loud. He jerks on the clothing irritably, ignoring Steve when the man flushes red and quickly turns his back. "You are still such a prude." He mutters at the mans back, but there is a tiny grin on his face when Steve turns back around.

Natasha is the first to arrive, her face is a storm cloud as she marches towards Tony, her cellphone held out accusingly. She doesn't get a chance to lay into the man however, as Rhodey and Bruce, quickly followed by the remaining members of the team filter into the room. Tony gives her a cheeky grin, ignoring the promise of retribution in her eyes.

"So – who wants to kick some alien ass?" He opens up casually, his eyes flicker between the tablet in his hands, and the group that stands before him.

"Been there, tried that. Got our asses kicked instead." Natasha responds bluntly, her arms crossed. Her entire posture comes off as annoyed and tense, but Tony can still see the undercurrent of relief in the lines of her mouth. She had been worried about him.

"Fair point." Tony nods, "But I've been thinking."

"I'm not sure if I'm scared or relieved…" Rhodey mutters to the room, but his eyes are bright and his teeth gleam in a smile.

"We have lost a lot of people, Stark." Okoye says somberly, her dark eyes haunted. She doesn't say anything beyond that, but she looks at him expectantly.

Tony nods in agreement, swiping at the tablet, it throws up schematics into the middle of the room. He lets the group digest the beginnings of his plan, something that he had cobbled together quickly. "It's not much but give me time to work it out. It's all up here," He knocks his knuckles against his temple lightly, "I just need to put it all together."

"How…how did you do this so fast?" Shuri speaks up, her face intent and impressed.

Tony shrugs, scratching at the stubble on his pale cheeks, "I've been toying around with something like this for years, ever since I went through the wormhole. Fighting Thanos and seeing what we're up against – it's given me a fresh look."

"So," Tony continues, a savage grin on his face, "Who wants to get our people back?"

 **END**

* * *

Why am I ending it here? Cause I have no freaking clue how they are going to fix this! I'm not the genius here – talk to Tony! ; )

Hopefully I didn't miss any glaring errors - I hope you enjoyed it! I just love writing Tony!


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